Hammock



H. MOVER Dec. 17, 1949.V

HAMMocx Filed Feb. l. 1938 mr: y

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.wt/J AOp wl 40 Patented Dec. 1 1, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENTv OFFICE Hyman Mover, Newton North, Mass.

Application February 1, 1938, Serial No. 188,117

4 Claims.

The present invention relates to a means and method of suspending a hammock, chair or seat intended more particularly to be used for infants and small children when riding in vehicles as for instance automobiles and the like.

The device is adapted to be placed either over the back of a seat or it may be suspended and supported in other ways, for which of course other supporting elements may be included. Particularly in connection with the suspension of baby hammocks in automobiles, it is necessary not only to be able to suspegid the hammock easily and conveniently in the' machine, but also the suspension should be of such a nature and type that the infant is disturbed as little as possible.

In the present invention the hammock may be suspended at the back of the front seat with a top hook or strap passing over the top of the seat and resting securely on the top shoulder. In such 20 an arrangement the hammock is positioned between the front and back seats and is suspended in a horizontal position in such a manner that it will be freely supported to allow for the up and down motion of the car to be minimized as will 25 be explained later. The hammock is further supported in such a manner as to prevent any side wise or end swing as the car may be jolted to one side or another.

Further advantages and improvements in the 30 present device will be readily understood from the specification below taken in connection with the drawing which shows an embodiment of the invention, in which:

Figure 1 shows a vertical elevation of the ham- 35 mock as attached to a seat of an automobile.

Figure 2 shows an end view looking at Figure 1.

Figure 3 shows a perspective view as seen from one corner of the hammock.

Figure 4 shows a modication of a detail indicated partly in fragmentary sections of an element shown in the other figures, and, Figure 5 shows an edge View of the detail shown in Figure 4 looking from the bottom upwards of Figure 4.

In the arrangement indicated in the drawing, the hammock proper itself is shown at I. This may be of any well known type of material and is preferably made with a metallic frame 2 the top of which is covered by the hammock itself and stitched in place as indicated by the stitches 3. The hammock itself may be of any well known type and as indicated in the present invention is shaped somewhat as a basket. To the top rim 2 oi" the hammock there is attached a U-shaped bracket indicated in the drawing at 4 passes from CII the inner top edge of the hammock to whichit is riveted and pivoted at 5 around the bottom of the hammock and at the other side in the same fashion thus forming a wide U shapedelement with side supports or arms 6 and 1. -Extending 5 from a. point near the lower ends of the arms or forks 6 and 1 is a hinged link III composed of the link 4members 8 and 9, the link 8 being pivoted to the arm 6 at the point I I which is almost down to the base of the arm 6. This `link Illl extends diagonally upward and has itsy portion 9 similarly pivoted at I2 to the metallic frame element 2. The pivot in the link I0 between the elements 8 and `9 is indicated at I3 over which a ring I4 maybe provided to assure that the link will not collapse. There are two such links, one on each side of the hammock, both of which are similarly numbered as indicated in Figure 1.

On the base of the bracket 4 there is provided a pair of holes on both ends near the bend to the side pieces 6 and 1. 'Ihrough these holes there pass rods or bars I5 and I6 which extend upright parallel with/th sides of the brace 4 and held in place in this position through the holes in the brace 4 through which the rods I5 and I6 pass, and also by means of the eyes I1 and I8 which are fastened to the `side pieces 6 and 1. The rods or bars I5 and I6 are curved substantially at right angles above the eyes I1 and `I8 as indicated by the element shown in dotted lines I9 in Figure 2. This curved portion I9 emerges into the hooks or supports which are preferably covered with rubber sheathing 2 I, 2 I, lying against and over the shoulder of the seat as indicated in Figure 2. At the lower end of the lrod I6 and I1 below the brace 4 and surrounding them are springs 22 which are short helical springs and positioned in such a manner as to bear against the under surface of the brace 4 as indicated in Figures 1 and 2.

Beyond the position of the spring, the rods I6 and I1 curve inwardly substantially at right angles as indicated by 23 in Figure 3 and form a right; angle arm beyond this point as indicated in Figure 3 which is covered by means of the rubber sheathing 24 so that the end angle element 25 is positioned to grip and rest rmly against the material of the back seat.

The hammock may be used as indicated in the perspective drawing of Figure 3, that is attached V at the back of the seat in an automobile. In this case the hammock will occupy a horizontal position with the U shaped supporting bracket having its base resting upon lthe springs as indicated.

Any motion of the car that tends to move the hammock up or down will be absorbed by the action of the spring in this position. In combination with this the angle arm 25 with the rubber sheathing 24 and the clamping arm, hold the frame firmly against the seat, so that the hammock while rmly fastened in position is sufiiciently free to avoid undesired vibrations.

In place of the link shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3, wherein the ring I4 keeps the link arms 8 and 9 in a rigid extensible position, the arrangement shown in Figures 4 and 5 may be employed. In this case the link is composed of a U channeled member 40 between the sides of which is inserted a single bar element 4|. The bar element 4| is provided with a slot 32 which has one portion which is straight but inclined to the edge of the bar and the end portion curved in an arch as indicated at 33. A pin 34 passes through the both walls 35 and 36 of the U shaped channel and is fixed rigidly thereto. This pin passes through the slot 32 and is arranged in such a position that the bars 4| and 40 may be inclined at an angle with one another or be held fast in one continu'- ous straight line. In the first position where the two elements are inclined to one another, the pin 34 rides around the curved portion 33 of the slot, while the end of the bar 4| indicated as 31 rotates within the U shaped channel. When it is desired to make one straight element of the two links, the links 40 and 4| are brought into alignment and pushed towards one another. In this position the slot acts as a wedge to wedge, the element 4| in the portion indicated by 38 between the pin. 34 and the end wall of the channel 40 making thereby a rigid joint which locks the two elements in place and prevents them from being pulled apart easily. The edge of the channel element also in combination with the edge of the bar 4| furnishes a rigid element which assumes the position of the rods 8 and 9 as indil cated in Figures 1, 2 and 3.

In the device just described it will be noticed that the bracket itself which extends from the front of the hammock around the base is the sole support of the hammock itself through the rivets at the top edge as indicated at 5 and at the links as indicated at |`2. It will also be notedthat this bracket is supported freely for up and down motion upon the spring 22 and that in eifect the whole hammock is free to move up and down under the spring action upon which it yieldingly rests or floats.

In place of supporting the spring element by means of compression, the arrangement may be such that the spring 22 may act as a suspending element for suspending the rod I6. In this case the suspension element or spring will at one end be held bythe back supports as for instance, the bars 20, and at the other end the spring will in turn supportkthe bracket 6 in such a way as to allow the whole hammock also to float freely up and down.

Having now described my invention, I claim:

1. Means for supporting a hammock yieldingly to a vehicle seat comprising a frame element to which the hammock is attached and which supports said hammock,a U shapedbracket having its ,open ends attached tio the frame of the hammock to provide free up and down motion of the bracket with respect to said rods, means for resiliently supporting the bracket on the rods comprising at each side a helical spring loosely surrounding the rod and interposed between the bottom of the U- shaped bracket and a supporting stop on the rod and means provided at the extremities of said jacent corners thereof, a pair of folding links,

each pivoted at one end to the sides of said frame to which the U shaped member is pivoted but away from said corners and at the other endto the sides of the U shaped bracket near the corners thereof, a pair of members having mid-sections arranged parallel to the sides of said U shaped brackets with top portions adapted to hang over the automobile seat and a lower portion spacing the hammock away from the seat,

and means for supporting said U shaped bracket on said members including spring means positioned to act vertically between the U shaped bracket and said members.

3. A collapsible babys hammock adapted to be hung over an automobile seat, comprising a rectangular metallic frame, a fabric forming the hammock body having a rectangular open top fitting over and attached to said rectangular lframe', a square cornered U shaped bracket, means pivoting the U shaped bracket at the open ends of the sides of the U to said frame near adjacent corners thereof, a pair of folding links each pivoted at one end to the sides of said frame to which the U shapedV member is pivoted but y away from said corners and at the other end to tions arranged parallel to the sides of said U shaped brackets with top portions adapted to hang over the automobile seat and a lower portion spacing the hammock away from the seat, said mid-section at its top end having means attaching it to the side of said U shaped bracket and permitting free Vertical motions with respect thereto and said mid-section at its lower end passing through the cross bar of said U shaped element and a helical spring about the lower end of said mid-section supported between the bottom of said U shaped bracket and the lower p01'- tion of said member spacing the hammock from the seat.

4. A collapsible babys hammock adapted to be hung over an automobile seat, comprising a rectangular metallic frame, a fabric forming the hammock body having a rectangular open top fitting over and attached to said rectangular frame, a square cornered U shaped bracket, means pivoting the U shaped bracket at the open ends of the sides of the U to said frame near adjacent corners thereof, a pair of folding links each pivoted at one end to the sides of said frame to which the U shaped member is pivoted but away from said corners and at the other end of the sides of the U shaped bracket near the corners thereof, a pair of members having. mid-scctions arranged parallel to the sides of said U shaped bracket with top portions adapted to hang over the automobile seat and a lower portion spacing the hammock away from the seat, said lower portion comprising an angle element positioned horizontally to said vertical element, and means for supporting said U shaped bracket on said members including spring means resting at its lower end on said angle element and at its upper end engaging under the cross bar of the U shaped bracket for freely supporting said U shaped bracket to permit free vertical motion oi' said hammock against said spring.

HYMAN MOVER. 

